Voluntary Health Association of Assam (VHAA)

VHA of Assam has implemented a wide range of activities during the year. The promotion of community health and social development was one of their important continuing initiatives undertaken towards healthy, secure and stable communities throughout the State. Networking and liasoning with grassroot level organizations has increased manifold and since newer organizations are at the threshold of starting bigger projects like the MNGO scheme and NGOs are to be more actively involved in the National Rural Health Mission, VHAA’s task of strengthening and capacity building of NGOs, particularly in the area of Reproductive and Child Health(RCH) and Family Welfare has gained more impetus.

VHAA was selected as Regional Resource Centre for the 8 North Eastern States. The main activities of RRC included capacity building, networking and liaisoning with State and District Health Authorities, follow up visit, field appraisal and evaluation of NGOs, monitoring visit etc. VHAA has ensured maximum coverage of districts in all states under the MNGO programme. From a number of 14 MNGOs on board, there are now more than 25 MNGOs on board and several more in the process of selection. VHAA has also emphasized that all its members and the MNGOs in all the NE states play a proactive role in the successful implementation of the National Rural Health Mission by being a part of the state level and district level teams and also all MNGOs are partners in the process of micro-planning and some of the NRHM’s salient programmes like the JSY.

A capacity building programme was conducted for VHAA’s Nodal Agencies (NA) to equip them better to work in stronger collaboration with the Panchayati Raj Institutions(PRIs) in the context of the National Rural Health Mission(NHRM) with special focus on the North Eastern states. The functionaries from the Directorate of Panchayats and Rural Development also attended so as to familiarize both the NAs and the PRI functionaries.

VHA of Assam conducted comprehensive capacity building training programmes for its member organizations and project partners. Two phases of Skill Upgradation training programmes were also organized for Health Workers on Information and Documentation, Project Formulation, Orientation of Traditional Birth Attendants(TBAs). A training programme for TBAs was conducted for the identified TBAs of Kamrup, Nalbari and Barpeta districts. These TBAs were identified by the Mother NGOs of the respective districts so as to facilitate the service delivery initiatives of Field NGOs at the community level particularly in unserved and under-served areas.

The other programme of VHA of Assam included, Aastha - a composite Targetted Intervention project for Truckers & Female Sex Workers and Promotion & Popularisation of the Indian Systems of Medicine under the IEC scheme of the Dept. of AYUSH, Government of India. Also provided consultancy services to other organizations both corporate as well as in the developmental sector on various aspects of community health, on Reproductive and Child Health, Malaria, disaster management etc. VHAA team member P. Deka was part of the Aparajita Rehabilitation team at the Tsunami affected areas in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. Besides this, VHAA in partnership with its nodal agency RRTCITT provided treatment services during the Malaria outbreak in Golaghat district.

VHAA also conducted treatment camps and provided training to volunteers in the camps set up for the victims of ethnic clashes in Karbi Anglong. VHAA’s work here was lauded by the defense forces who were partners in the programme.